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San Diego Family Lawyer

If you’re at the point in your life where you’re thinking about hiring a San Diego family lawyer for divorce or childcustody dispute, life is complicated. The many moving parts in a custody or support dispute or a divorce are overwhelming. The consequences of family court are long-lasting, so anxiety and stress run high. In family law disputes, as with many experiences, we’ll have in life, what – and how – you go into the case is critical to what result comes out.

What is your next step going to be?

If you’ve already begun exploring the prospect of hiring a divorce attorney, you’ve probably thought what over ninety percent of litigants in San Diego think: Isn’t there a way for me to do this myself?

Should I do this without a San Diego family lawyer?

There is an increasing trend toward doing one’s own do-it-yourself divorce in San Diego Family Courts. Sometimes people who file for divorce in San Diego who can afford family law lawyers don’t like the idea of a family law attorney being involved in their case. For others, it really is just a matter of money – of the lack of enough of it to hire an attorney.

A third option is now available in family law. Take a few minutes to explore this one.

I am Paul Staley. I am a San Diego family lawyer with nearly two-and-a-half decades of experience in San Diego county’s family courts. I offer coaching and legal advice support to those who choose a do-it-yourself divorce but want guidance and legal strategy advice along the way. I choose to support self-represented litigants these days rather than engage in litigation. My reasoning is simple: the great majority of litigants aren’t going to hire a San Diego family lawyer anyway because of the exorbitant cost. But I have seen the need for legal support services vividly illustrated in every (family law) courtroom in the county. I’ve watched hundreds of well-meaning loving parents badly botch their attempts at making a case for custody, visitation, support and other vital issues in their cases.

So: why do some self-represented (at least, without an attorney in the courtroom) litigants seem to do well while others do not? It’s not the quality of the case of the character of the person. It all comes down to the quality of the preparation. And the fact is, some mistakes in San Diego family court cannot be undone.

What these people need is to know “what they don’t know”.

Questions you need to think about are: Who is the judge? How do I prepare for mediation? What does meditation mean? What am I responsible for in child support?These are just a few.

My goal is to educate you so you can be competent to represent yourself

Benefits of having an expert in San Diego Family Law in your corner:

Tapping into all the knowledge and expertise of decades of practice and San Diego divorce courtroom experience

Avoiding the knee-jerk reactionary response of the other side, as in: “OMG! She filed for divorce in the San Diego court, She hired a lawyer! I’d better get one too!”

Skipping the long lines and wait times at the Family Law Facilitator’s office

Getting real legal divorce support that you can’t get from anyone but an expert lawyer –this means you will understand all the financial consequences fully so you won’t regret something later.

Maintaining the perception that you and your spouse are working together through the process. (Many spouses see the involvement of attorneys as hostile, intrusive and confrontational.)

You can speak to me directly. I answer my own phone.Call me at 619-235-4095

If you hire me to help you can expect, I will calculate support (child and spousal support) using the same software used by most of our Family Court judges. I can even calculate multiple scenarios so you can know what the range of outcomes will be.You will understand how important mediation is and what to expect in mediation. When you meet you will get substantive legal information and concrete answers on divorce law in San Diego courts.

Is it a”free consultation”?

The short answer is no because I am not going to waste a single minute trying to convince you to part with several thousand dollars more to represent you. I will instead focus on case strategies with you and connect you with additional experts as needed if needed. If you find you need a San Diego family lawyer to fully and formally represent you, I will tell you who would hire if was going through a divorce.

You are unique and so is your case. Your take on how to proceed will be unique to you. You deserve to have advice that takes into account the unique, specific traits you and your case present instead of settling for some cookie-cutter solution in San Diego Family Court.

But whether you decide to call me or not, please don’t decide to go into this unprepared.

Testimonials

I'd just like to say that The Law Offices of Paul Staley handled my case very professionally. Also, they were so great that I actually referred 2 of my friends to the same law firm - So, I would definitely say this is a great place to check when you're calling around for either a new family law attorney, or for bankruptcy help here in San Diego. One of the best things is they never talked down to me,or rushed me.

S.S San Diego

2014-06-18T18:21:19+00:00

I'd just like to say that The Law Offices of Paul Staley handled my case very professionally. Also, they were so great that I actually referred 2 of my friends to the same law firm - So, I would definitely say this is a great place to check when you're calling around for either a new family law attorney, or for bankruptcy help here in San Diego. One of the best things is they never talked down to me,or rushed me. S.S San Diego

http://www.sandiegofamilylawyer.com/testimonials/s-s-san-diego/

Finally!!!! Divorced!!!! YAY!!!! I can start my life over again thanks to Mr. Staley and his amazingly helpful and patient staff. Mr. Staley and his office made the divorce process as painless as possible.I would recommend him to anyone who needs a great family law attorney.

He's the best in town!

J.R San Diego

2014-06-18T18:20:00+00:00

Finally!!!! Divorced!!!! YAY!!!! I can start my life over again thanks to Mr. Staley and his amazingly helpful and patient staff. Mr. Staley and his office made the divorce process as painless as possible.I would recommend him to anyone who needs a great family law attorney.He's the best in town! J.R San Diego

http://www.sandiegofamilylawyer.com/testimonials/j-r-san-diego/

Paul is a welcome change.He is experienced yet doesn't act better than you.He tries to help and talks "to you" rather than "at you." Thank you Paul and the rest of your staff for a pleasant experience through a horrific part of my life. My life is getting back on track now, and I'm glad you made it a worry free process!

M.L. San Diego

2014-06-18T18:19:21+00:00

Paul is a welcome change.He is experienced yet doesn't act better than you.He tries to help and talks "to you" rather than "at you." Thank you Paul and the rest of your staff for a pleasant experience through a horrific part of my life. My life is getting back on track now, and I'm glad you made it a worry free process! M.L. San Diego

http://www.sandiegofamilylawyer.com/testimonials/m-l-san-diego/

The first time I met with Paul was in his office in the year 2013. At that very moment I felt very comfortable, safe and secured with him as my lawyer. He was so pleasing,approachable and professional. I was able to tell him all my concerns without any hesitations and he explained to me everything clearly. He was very thorough and detailed.From that time we both have a good rapport. He always make sure that I understood everything he said.

A.R San Diego

2014-06-18T18:18:49+00:00

The first time I met with Paul was in his office in the year 2013. At that very moment I felt very comfortable, safe and secured with him as my lawyer. He was so pleasing,approachable and professional. I was able to tell him all my concerns without any hesitations and he explained to me everything clearly. He was very thorough and detailed.From that time we both have a good rapport. He always make sure that I understood everything he said. A.R San Diego

http://www.sandiegofamilylawyer.com/testimonials/r-san-diego/

I worked with Paul after a nightmare with another lawyer. Paul was fast, professional and got the job done! Since the work was completed I've had questions over the years and Paul has always answered my questions without charging me a dime.

I would not hesitate for even one second to work with Paul again.

S. D San Diego

2014-06-18T18:15:12+00:00

I worked with Paul after a nightmare with another lawyer. Paul was fast, professional and got the job done! Since the work was completed I've had questions over the years and Paul has always answered my questions without charging me a dime. I would not hesitate for even one second to work with Paul again. S. D San Diego

http://www.sandiegofamilylawyer.com/testimonials/s-d-san-diego/

I would recommend Paul to anyone stuck in a very unpleasant situation.Paul and his staff are always willing help, are nice and caring.He was with me every step of my child custody/child support, I never felt like I was dealing with it alone. I know I have more legal battles in my future and I want Paul at my side.

Y.T San Diego

2014-06-18T18:22:22+00:00

I would recommend Paul to anyone stuck in a very unpleasant situation.Paul and his staff are always willing help, are nice and caring.He was with me every step of my child custody/child support, I never felt like I was dealing with it alone. I know I have more legal battles in my future and I want Paul at my side. Y.T San Diego

http://www.sandiegofamilylawyer.com/testimonials/y-t-san-diego/

Paul Staley represented me in a move away order when I was unable to get a job in the San Diego area and my ex-husband refused to let our children move two hours away. At the time, my children and I were incredibly distraught; he spent a great deal of time working on our case, as both an outstanding professional and a compassionate counselor, providing me with the legal means and the fortitude to work through this contentious, emotionally charged situation. As my children and I have been blessed to with the opportunity to settle into our new lives, we will always be grateful to Paul for his hard work, his guidance, and his finesse in working with the legal system. Simply put, he's brilliant! Janet T. Riverside

2014-07-11T18:28:31+00:00

Paul Staley represented me in a move away order when I was unable to get a job in the San Diego area and my ex-husband refused to let our children move two hours away. At the time, my children and I were incredibly distraught; he spent a great deal of time working on our case, as both an outstanding professional and a compassionate counselor, providing me with the legal means and the fortitude to work through this contentious, emotionally charged situation. As my children and I have been blessed to with the opportunity to settle into our new lives, we will always be grateful to Paul for his hard work, his guidance, and his finesse in working with the legal system. Simply put, he's brilliant! Janet T. Riverside

http://www.sandiegofamilylawyer.com/testimonials/janet-t/

Paul and his staff are excellent. He handled a family law matter and a bankruptcy for me. He was very well prepared and knew the San Diego Court and Judges.He is confident in court and got me fabulous results in both cases. I am so happy I was referred to Paul, it's like a huge weight was taken off my shoulders. Helpful and friendly staff,

Emily L La Mesa

2014-07-15T22:28:42+00:00

Paul and his staff are excellent. He handled a family law matter and a bankruptcy for me. He was very well prepared and knew the San Diego Court and Judges.He is confident in court and got me fabulous results in both cases. I am so happy I was referred to Paul, it's like a huge weight was taken off my shoulders. Helpful and friendly staff,Emily L La Mesa

The Law Office Of Paul Staleyprovides legal advice and representation for residents of San Diego County. The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this or associated pages, documents, comments, answers, emails, or other communications should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information on this website is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing of this information does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.